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Loading ...Report: One In Five Irish Gays Attempted Suicide
02.02.2009 12:56pm EST
(Dublin) Nearly 20 percent of LGBT Irish citizens have attempted suicide and one in three has self-harmed at least once according to a report issued by the government on Monday.
It also found widespread physical attacks and rampant school bullying toward the LGBT population.The report, Supporting LGBT Lives: A Study of the Mental Health of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender People, is the largest study into LGBT mental health ever carried out in Ireland.
The report’s authors said that the study clearly shows “the negative effects of stigmatization, harassment and discrimination – what is termed ‘minority stress’ – on LGBT people.”
Twenty-five percent of respondents said they had been physically attacked because of their sexuality and 40 percent had been threatened with violence.
The study found that almost 80 percent had been verbally abused because of their sexual identity and 58 per cent had been bullied in school. More than 30 percent said that they had been bullied by teachers or staff.
Twenty percent of those surveyed said that the bullying in school was so bad they frequently skipped classes out of fear for their safety.
The study, released by Health Minister Mary Harney, was conducted by the Children’s Research Center at Trinity College and the School of Education at University College Dublin.
Having had been raised in Ireland, I can attest to the negativity directed toward those who were perceived to be gay. However, this study does downplay the recent improvement in public view of homosexuality. In previous years, the percentage of attempted suicides would have been skewed much higher.
Gee, I wonder if they are Catholic…see following article. And we know Papa Ratzi and his second in command are fulltime exNazis.
While the Government in Ireland is still pretty hostile towards gays, the general attitude in society has improved dramatically in the past ten years. Back when I was in school things were very different. I was badly bullied, as were others who were perceived to be gay. Today there is still bullying, still homophobia, but things are getting better. Slowly.
However, I can certainly understand why so many gay men in Ireland might attempt suicide or self-harm. Being gay in Ireland is not easy. It’s not as hard as it is in some countries, but it’s still tough.
I’m proud to say I have never attempted suicide or self-harmed because of my sexuality. I have done both because I’m bipolar, but I’ve never had an issue with my sexuality and don’t give a flying crap if others do.
The root of ingrained homophobia rests with most organized religions. Their unwritten motto should be “Agree with us or we’ll kill you – or at least, make your life so miserable, you’ll want to kill yourself”. All this done as they set about to do “God’s work” … NOT!
oh when will be free of all the many evils forced upon us by the clergy and the scourge of religion?
FFRF is putting up a new billboard and probably half the articles on this site are relevant, which is astounding: “Praise Darwin. Evolve Beyond Belief”. If homo sapien would simply do that…evolve beyond belief, we might succeed on this planet. Sadly I don’t see us making it and our demise is likely already set in stone. Good for the dogs, they will be better stewards of the planet.
I lived in Ireland for a year during 2004-2005, and I have dual citizenship. I lived in Dublin and Bray, and encountered violence when a friend, an American, was beaten because “he was a rich American bastard.” They used bats and Tommy was hospitalized with broken limbs, shattered teeth, and broken ribs. This is typical of Irish life in cities — they are a violent people compared to their European counterparts. Gay men are very closeted and look exactly like everyone else — because they want to escape bashing. Yet there are more gay men in Dublin, per capita, than in San Francisco although there is little organizing. There is an anti-violence organization in Dublin now, on St. George Street, so things are getting better (hopefully). The main culprit, of course, is the Catholic Church, which has historically kept the Irish downtrodden with ample scapegoats to provide “a bit o’ fun.”
I had the misfortune to be walking down Baggot Street the other day when I saw a student group outside O Donohue’s pub in hotpants and false mustaches, simulating sodmy with each other with a sign reading ‘The Building Benders’ over them.
I was furious. It was a minstrel show, and a gross indictment of how stupid and unfeeling Irish men still are.
Not to be facetious but, apart from the general grinding grey homophobia in Ireland, the men are so universally unattractive that I sometimes wonder if I’m still gay (my libido drops to nil) and there is no chance of getting a decent BF around here. I went to the US to get mine. Irish men are horrible, pasty, overweight and nearly always impotent with drink.
Wow Charlie. I guess you feel a need to show us your bigotry today.
Be well. And have a good day.
Sincerely,
James
Sorry for the bigotry but I’ve lived here 30 years and we all drink FAR too much and get no exercise at all.
Sorry, I hate my country. Nobody here has any confidence at all or gets anything achieved until they leave. They just moan and whine about the weather all day. Now that the economy’s collapsed. I’m leaving.
I am an American of Irish heritage who is very proud to support Sinn Fein.
I am also a proud and Out Democrat who wishes very much to influence American politics with a different way of thinking – a progressive viewpoint that often is lost in our country. So many Americans and our media sadly believe that ideals for a more just society are un-attainable.
I urge all Irish and Americans alike to read the Sinn Fein “Rights For All” document. It is a ‘Freedom Charter’ that takes the best of Irish thinking and incorporates ideas from around the world; it is a political document that takes good from the US Constitution,the UN Declaration of Human RIghts, the South African ANC Freedom Charter – it is a brilliant document.
Irish men and women have the choice in front of them to vote for progessive, Gay-inclusive policies.
Backwater, backwards thinking…these terms do no good; we all know the overwhelming influence of the church. We’ve got the same damn problems here in the US.
I do hope the modern Irish men and women remember their roots of hospitality, kindness, and culture; it is an ancient culture of which I am very proud.
Call me a arrogant American bastard if you like – but this one supports Sinn Fein and their call for full inclusion of Gay men and women as equals.
If only we had an American political party with the bravery of Sinn Fein!
“Sorry, I hate my country. Nobody here has any confidence at all or gets anything achieved until they leave. They just moan and whine about the weather all day. Now that the economy’s collapsed. I’m leaving.”
Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
Personally, I’ve never had trouble finding attractive men in Ireland, and the only ones I’ve ever found to be too drunk to perform have been Northern Irish – and they’re not true Irish anyway.
“If only we had an American political party with the bravery of Sinn Fein!”
Their attitude towards gays and minority groups is generally good. Their record in other matters is not so great. Please don’t make them out to be something they’re not. They’re just another political party with its fair share of sordid secrets and a very colourful history.
Don’t make the mistake of confusing “doing good things” with “being a good political party”.